The Best Wedding Websites in 2018 (& why you need one)

Have a really good think about it;

if you decide to communicate EVERYTHING about your wedding to ALL of your guests in person, on the phone or via snail mail (save the dates, invitations, RSVPs etc.) you are handing over a LOT of your precious time.

And we know that there are at least a dozen other (read: fun) things that you would rather be doing than licking envelopes, chasing RSVPs or having repeated, lengthy calls with his family about their interpretation of the semi-formal dress code.

Here are what some of the cooler wedsites (wedding websites) now offer soon-to-be-weds at a pretty low price or in some cases, for FREE!

RSVPs- some sites offer the ability for your guests to RSVP online. It saves you time, money and energy to not have to track them manually. You can also easily check to see who hasn't responded by your cut-off date and include specifications for dietary needs and special access (wheelchair etc.) requirements or song requests to get your guests on the dancefloor.

Gift registries - let your guests know where you are registered (for specific gifts, experiences or even cash), if you are having a wishing well or would prefer donations to a charity and when and how they can contribute.

Accommodation - your out of town guests will appreciate being given some recommendations on where is good (quality-wise and geographically) and this is a great place to put some links to any reservations or special deals you may have already arranged.

Dress Code - are you having a black tie affair or a more relaxed vibe? Let your guests know.

Child Care - if some of your guests have kids, they will appreciate finding out about group babysitting or creche services in advance.

Guest Book - a section for your guests to leave their best wishes, photos and videos.

Your Couple Story - you can sharephotos, stories or a timeline of how you met.

Introduce Your Bridal Party - there is a good chance that the reason you chose your fabulous bridal party in the first place is because they're amazing people - so clue your other guests in on it too! You can include photos, bios, their most embarrassing moment, how you met, their favourite icecream flavour or how long you've been friends for. Remember that some of your guests may not have met all of your bridesmaids or groomsmen - it can be a smart way to break the ice before the wedding day.

Photo uploads - a secure (read: no immediate public humiliation) spot for your guests to upload photos they take of the planning, pre-wedding parties and the wedding itself for everyone to be able to share regardless of their social media involvement.

You've convinced me, now where do I start?

Here are some of the leading wedding websites with grown up and sleek templates (rather than the ones that will rot your teeth with a sickly sweet colour scheme or waaay too many pics of white doves and interlinked wedding rings!):

APPY COUPLE

Best part: Your personalised wedding website and app has every piece of information you (and your guests) will ever need at the click of a button. You can change your design scheme at any time and keep it active for as long as you need.

ZANKYOU

Best part: They provide free wedding websites that integrate with your international cash wedding registry, gift list, honeymoon registry, honeymoon gift list or charity gift list. The websites are customisable and mobile responsive. Zankyou collaborates with Greenpeace so that you can set up funds to donate towards protecting the environment with a green registry.

MINTED

Best part: The biggest number of free unique website designs by independent artists. Many designs can be complemented with the matching printed invitations.

Cons: The Minted interface is a bit slow which can get a little painful and after the first year of the premium service, your custom URL can be renewed for a fee. But apart from that I'm having trouble finding things to complain about - seems to be a great service..